


Standing By

by QuietDarkness



Series: Simplicity and Complexity (Harrisco) [62]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: M/M, harrisco
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-09
Updated: 2019-02-09
Packaged: 2019-10-24 19:07:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17709869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QuietDarkness/pseuds/QuietDarkness
Summary: A strange occurrence of energy and electricity is plaguing the team, and all signs seem to point to Maggie until evidence leads them to more questions than answers.Meanwhile, Jimmy asks Harry for a favor that might completely change how he sees the young man.'Opposites don't just attract. They catch fire and burn the entire city down.'(Part 60)





	Standing By

Empty.

That's the word that kept bouncing around his head these days. The house felt empty. Her room was empty. Every day was a little bit emptier. And it was for the best. He understood that, at every level. But even after three months, he was finding he still couldn't quite accept it.

It shouldn't have been so hard to do, really, letting her go. He'd done it with Jesse. But he'd had months to get used to the idea, bouncing back and forth between this earth and Earth-2. With Maggie, there was no grace period. No time to grow comfortable with it. One day she was living under their roof. And the next? Sure, she was only living across town. It wasn't nearly as bad as the distance between himself and Jesse. But there was still something about it that felt off.

'Parents rarely let go of their children. Our kids are the ones who let go of us.' _Joe West had said in conversation once. Harry had pretty much stared the man into laughing at him because of it._ 'You gave her everything she needs, Harry. She'll be alright. And if there's ever a moment she isn't?' _Joe had shrugged,_ 'She knows where home is.'

Currently, home was far too quiet.

The shadows were moving everywhere in tandem with his discomfort. He should have been concentrating on the task at hand instead of staring into the darkness of her empty bedroom like a brooding statue. But he stayed where he was, leaning against the door frame with his hands in his pockets, letting out a deep breath into the quiet.

“I can feel you aching.” Hope said from behind him, her voice smooth and the exact opposite of the darkness he wanted to be a part of at the moment. He clenched his jaw, turning to look at her. She was very close, like usual. Her hair was up in a tight braid with random rivulets of blond framing her face. She was wearing a simple light blue dress. She'd taken her shoes off at the door. She hated wearing anything on her feet and went barefoot whenever she could get away with it. “You're projecting.” She smiled softly, tilting her head a little. He let the air out of his lungs slowly before pulling his hands out of his pockets.

“I was never very good at being subtle.”

“A solidly cemented aspect of your nature, I've come to see.” She smiled wider at that, and he shook his head a little, smiling despite himself. He reached up with both hands and smoothed her blond locks behind her ears. She just kept smiling as though very little could deter her momentary happiness and moved into him, hugging his frame tightly.

It was easy to hug her back. He didn't really fight their connection anymore. He didn't need to. It was something he still didn't really have a name for, but it was permanent. And he was okay with it. Mostly because Cisco was okay with it. If he hadn't been, being around Hope would have been torture.

“Hey, I want in!” Cisco's voice met his ears, and he was suddenly being hugged from behind as well, becoming a veritable Harry sandwich as the air was forced out of his lungs. Hope chuckled and settled impossibly further into him.

“You're both ridiculous.” He stated but was still smiling gently. Hope peeled away first, but Cisco only settled further into him, a warm and comforting presence that Harry would never get enough of. He rested a hand over both of Cisco's arms, which were wrapped around his torso.

“I wanted to let you know, I'm done processing the energy in the house. I'll see what I can make of it and get back to you.” Hope said chipperly. Cisco peeked his head around Harry's frame.

“Thanks muchly. You need a ride back?”

“Goodness, no. I'm going to walk. It's beautiful outside.”

“It's snowing.” Harry said flatly, letting go of Cisco's arms as he moved beside him. “And you're wearing practically nothing.” Hope waved a hand dismissively.

“Won't bother me at all. In fact, there's a certain sort of comfort to the cold.” She stepped back and turned, talking over her shoulder, “I'll call you when I have some answers.” And just like that, she disappeared around the corner. A moment later, the door was heard closing behind her.

“Ya know, if she wasn't some kind of celestial being, I'd actually be worried right now.” Cisco said, taking Harry's hand in his. Instantly, Harry felt warmth spread into his skin, up his arm, into his whole body. He stroked Cisco's hand with his thumb, tightening their digits together a little.

The intensity they'd felt months ago had settled. Or, more like they'd learned to control it. Channel it into something easier to handle, something less volatile and heated. Now, it was like a constant, comfortable layer of warmth. Every touch ignited it. Every look reminded them of it. And when they were intimate, it was now their own fiery entity, fueled by the moment in time when their souls had once literally touched. And though they'd come to accept the uniqueness of their situation, they didn't really try to understand it all anymore. There were just some aspects that simply... were.

Aspects like being able to know, at any given time, where the other was and what they were doing. Hope had tried to help them figure out where the sudden ability manifested from. But they'd learned to control it much faster than they would ever find answers. So they let that hunt go, and just held on to the impossible awesome absurdity of it.

“You're doing it again.” He heard Ramon say, the shorter man moving completely in front of him and grabbing his attention. He raised a brow. “Ya know, disappearing into that head of yours.” Cisco said as he reached up and tapped Harry's forehead once. He dropped his hand with a knowing smirk. “What's up?”

“Just curious about the en-” but he didn't get a chance to finish the sentence, because for about the fiftieth time that week, the lights began blinking and the radio was heard turning on in the kitchen. Machines of any kind turned on all over the house, in fact. “Fuck.” He swore. And Cisco turned on his heel.

“I'll get the breaker.” He said blandly.

A few minutes later, the breaker was reset, and the house was still and quiet again except for one thing. Harry was standing in their bedroom, holding their digital alarm clock in his hands. The damn thing wouldn't shut off, no matter what button he pressed. With a growl, he yanked the cord out of the wall and practically lobbed the thing onto the bed. It bounced off and landed on the opposite side, right near Cisco's feet.

Ramon sighed a little, reaching down and picking it up, rolling the cord up. “Alright.” He set the clock on the comforter and moved around the end of the bed frame toward him. “Talk to me. Something's up, and it's not just the psycho energy making everyone's houses go whackadoo.”

It was true. Theirs wasn't the only house experiencing the odd energy fluctuations. In fact, everyone on the team was having the same problem. And yeah, it was frustrating and annoying. But Ramon could read Harry like a book. He could also feel his agitation, better than anyone could. Harry let out a heavy breath and sat down on the bed. Cisco stood in front of him, watching quietly.

“It's silly.” He stated quietly, meeting Ramon's soft gaze. Cisco smiled a little, reaching forward with one hand, stroking Harry's cheek with his thumb.

“Silly to who? Cause it's obviously important or it wouldn't be bothering you so much.” He let his hand fall, crouching before him and placing his hands on Harry's knees. “So, spill.”

“Maggie's room is...” he cleared his throat a little, averting his eyes, “Too empty.” For a moment, neither of them said anything. But then Cisco moved, sat down beside him on the bed and heavily wrapped his arms around Harry's frame, resting his chin on Harry's shoulder.

“I get it.” He said softly, his warm breath washing over the side of Harry’s face slightly. “I know she left pretty suddenly. I miss her, too.” Harry lifted a hand and held onto Cisco's arm, closing his eyes and resting his head against Ramon's. “But she's okay. That's what it keeps coming back to for me. That she's really okay.”

“I should feel better about this by now.” Harry grated out, then sighed. “But I still don't like it.”

“And _you_ never will, Papa Bear.” He could hear the humor in Cisco's voice. “She's growing up, Harry. She's strong and capable and knows what she's doing. And Jimmy's a good kid. He'd never hurt her.” Harry opened his eyes with a frown. “Besides, if he tried, she'd probably just fry him.” Cisco lifted his head the same time Harry dead, meeting his stare. “Seriously, though. You're going to have to find a way to accept this at some point. You know that, right?” Harry clenched his jaw a little. “You did it with Jesse. You can do it with Mags, too.”

“That's the thing.” He peeled himself away from Cisco, pacing for a moment, then stopping with his hands on his hips as he stared out into the hallway. “With Jesse, there was time. And it really was for the best. For all of us. But this?” He shook his head. “Something about this doesn't feel right. It hasn't from the beginning. The only reason I agreed to it is because you two ganged up on me. And we needed a solution for Jimmy.”

“The two of them living together has been great for them, Harry. You know that. Maggie's been doing amazing in school, like always. She's thriving independently. Jimmy's safe from his Dad. Axiom is there all the time. And everyone has kept their secrets intact.” Cisco shifted his position a bit, pulling up a foot. “What could possibly be wrong with all that?”

“I don't know!” Harry blurted, throwing up a hand. Then he peeled his glasses off, letting them dangle from his fingertips. “I don't know.” He said much softer. “Something just... is.”

It had all been Maggie's idea.

After Rose had died, she and Jimmy moved in to her place. Jimmy went to court to become an emancipated teen, using the evidence they'd collected of his father beating him and throwing him out to help push it through. The two of them continued school and work. Maggie even had plans to reopen the flower shop. Life for their daughter and the teenage boy seemed to be going in every possible right direction. And without Jimmy living at the house, and in the thick of whatever meta mayhem might happen, they all kept their identities a secret and Jimmy could stay safe.

But Harry felt like there was this perpetual cloud. It wasn't just that he couldn't get used to the fact that Maggie was gone. Though that was definitely part of it. He couldn't help the feeling that there was something waiting just around the corner, something out of earshot, where the peripheral vision couldn't even see, waiting to throw a wrench into the whole deal.

He felt Cisco move. Yes, he heard him. But he felt him, too. When they were alone like this, their connection tended to be a little more acute. His hands slid up Harry's back, a motion that made all the air slowly escape his lungs. Harry hung his head as Cisco's hands came to his shoulders and squeezed.

“We'll go see her tomorrow. She's got the next few days off after reviews. So we'll stop in, surprise her.” Ramon's hands worked at the tension in Harry's muscles, and he simply let him. “We'll make sure everything's okay.”

They'd just seen Maggie two days ago, to help her go over her review prep. College for her was turning out to be a breeze, even at her age. But every now and then, she still got anxious and asked for help. Something neither of them would deny her.

“Alright?” Cisco urged, sliding his hands along Harry as he moved in front of him, finding purchase of Harry's waist. Ramon's eyebrows were up slightly, his eyes searching. Harry nodded with a short breath.

“Alright.”

“Come on. Let's go watch a movie. I'll make hot chocolate.” He reached up and kissed Harry's lips fleetingly before stepping back. “I bought green marshmallows. They're all minty.” He winked and turned, heading out into the hallway. Harry found himself smiling, shaking his head a little.

Cisco had a lot of amazing abilities. But by far, one of his most impressive was how he could effortlessly pull Harry out of his own head. Just by being himself. Harry shut off the bedroom light and followed, feeling at least a touch lighter. And wondering how good minty marshmallows could actually be...

* * *

The lights flashing and every electronic device in the house going off in the middle of the night woke both Harry and Cisco out of a sound sleep. Or more like startled the shit out of both of them. Harry rammed his knee on the night stand getting out of bed, nearly toppling the lamp over as he reached for that stupid alarm clock again. Cisco had thrown back the covers and sleepily wobbled into the closet. Not their finest moment.

After he got his bearings, Cisco made his way down the hall and into the basement to reset the breaker. “Stupid fricken energy. Middle of the damn night. Couldn't wait till morning?” Ramon mumbled, padding bare feet heavily across the cold cement floor to the breaker box. But he froze in place several feet away from it, eyes going a little wide. Because what he saw... no, who he saw... he could have sworn...

The translucent figure standing near the box blinked out and everything went dark.

Great.

He felt his way cautiously forward, finding his way blindly to the breaker box. One by one, he switched the fuses back in position, lights coming back on but no longer flashing. And for a long moment, he just stood there, staring around the basement where he and Harry liked to tinker in their free time. Some machines were on. But other than himself, there was no one else down there. “What. The. Hell.” He stated clearly.

Once everything was shut off, he headed back upstairs to find Harry shutting things off in the kitchen. He pressed the off button on the microwave just as Cisco got to the breakfast counter. “Hey, Harry...” he said gently, placing both hands palm down on the cool marble. Harry turned to look at him, looking agitated and tired. But then his brows furrowed at whatever expression must have been on Cisco's face.

“What's wrong?” He asked, taking a step. Ramon blinked and shook his head.

“Downstairs... just now...” he started, making a bit of an exasperated sound, “I swear I just saw...” He stopped himself, straightening and glancing toward the basement door.

“Saw what?” Harry's gently urging tone dragged his eyes away. “Did you vibe?”

“No, no vibe.” He stated, running a hand through his hair, dragging the strands back and away. “Man...” he laughed a little. “Maybe I just hallucinated it or something. Being yanked out of sleep like that.” But Harry frowned at him, crossing his arms over his chest.

“You don't hallucinate.” He stated easily. Cisco dropped his hand. “What did you see?”

“Not what.” he sighed out, pulling one of the tall stools out and sitting down. “Who.” He folded his hands on the counter, holding Harry's gaze. “I swear to god I just saw Maggie. Only... she was see-through and sort of... all sparky?” Saying it out loud sounded ridiculous. “She was just standing there. Her eyes were closed, like she was sleeping.” He frowned at his own words. “Then she just disappeared, and everything went dark.” Harry's face sobered steadily, then his arms dropped, and he looked past Cisco toward the basement. “It couldn't have been real. Maybe I just...”

“Hallucinated it? Yeah, you said that already.” Harry groused, then moved away purposefully.

“Hey,” Cisco turned, watching him head back down the hall. “Where're you going?” He called after Harry. But the taller man didn't respond. Cisco sighed and hopped off the stool, following to find Harry grabbing his cell phone off the charger. “It's nearly three a.m. Who could you possibly be calling?”

“Maggie.”

“What? Noooo… uh-uh.” Cisco moved toward him and yanked the phone out of his hand. “No way, dude. You wanna freak her out? I don't even know if I really saw what I s-” He was cut off by Harry's phone ringing, letting out a startled yelp as he jostled it in both hands. “Sssson of a monkey's uncle...” he breathed out, looking at the name on the screen. “It's Joe.” He couldn't help but sound confused at that. Harry raised both brows and grabbed the phone, answering it.

“Detective West?” Harry made his name a question. He was quiet for a moment. “Really... you're sure?” He held Cisco's gaze. “Call the others. We're on our way.” He hung up the phone.

“What?!” Cisco demanded.

“The electricity at his house went haywire just now, too. And he saw a see-through, sparking figure. That looked just like Maggie.” Harry said, far too calmly. Cisco just blinked and looked away, feeling a strange buzz of worry bubble up. “Can I call her now?” Harry asked with one raised brow.

Cisco just nodded numbly in agreement.

* * *

“What did you tell Jimmy?” Iris asked from where she was standing in the Cortex, near Barry's suit.

“That there was a family emergency. I didn't want to worry him. And I didn't know what else to say cause... well, I really don't know what's going on.” Maggie said. Her hair was up in a messy bun, and she was still wearing her Snoopy pajamas and oversized Central City University sweatshirt. She rubbed at one eye, glancing at Cisco with a small grateful smile as he stepped up beside her, handing her a cup of coffee which she graciously took in both hands.

“You look tired.” Harry said, leaning forward, his elbows on his knees where he sat in a rolling chair, a sort of strangely calm expression on his face she couldn't quite read. She blinked at him.

“Well yeah.” She chuckled. “You see how you look getting woken up at three in the morning.”

“You sure that's all it is?” Cisco asked just before taking a sip out of his own mug. She raised both brows at him.

“I mean...” She looked around at everyone, all the eyes on her curious and concerned at the same time. “I haven't been sleeping really well lately. With reviews and all that, and trying to clean up the flower shop and...” she set her coffee down on the computer table. “What's going on, guys? You're freaking me out a little.”

She watched everyone exchange glances before Hope spoke up. “Those strange energy occurrences at everyone's homes, and here at the labs... we think we've figured out who's causing them. We're just not sure... how. It makes sense, though. After I examined the energy readings, I know now why they seemed so familiar.”

“Who... what do you mean who? Is it a meta?” She asked, crossing her arms quietly.

“Yeah, actually, uh... we think it's you.” Barry said, giving her a sympathetic look. She let out a chuckle, but her face sobered quickly when she realized everyone in the room was still watching her.

“You can't be serious.”

Caitlin stepped toward her. “If it's okay, I'd like to run some tests on you? Make sure that everything's alright, and see if we can't pinpoint what's causing it?”

“This is ridiculous, you know that, right?” She asked, looking at Cisco, then to Harry. “Come on, Dads. Why would I be making people’s houses light up? What would even make you think it was me?”

“Both Cisco and Joe... saw you.” Harry said, standing and moving toward her. “Or a sort of non-corporeal version of you.” He put a hand on her shoulder. “And no one thinks you're doing it on purpose.”

“The energy signature is a ghost of yours, to put it plainly.” Hope added. “I couldn't tell before, because it was so muted. But now it's clear to me.”

Maggie felt her chest squeeze up, swallowing as fear and worry suddenly plummeted into her stomach. “I'm not... I-I didn't mean to... I don't...” she began to ramble, eyes a little wide. Harry just pulled her into him, and she let him, burying her face into his chest. 

It couldn't be her, right?! And yet, somehow, she knew it was true. None of them would lie to her about something like this, especially not her dads. And honestly, she was exhausted. She had been for close to two weeks now. She'd written it off as just studying too hard and working too much. But maybe there was more to it than that...

“It's okay, punk.” Harry said, his voice rumbling in his chest. “We'll figure it out together.”

Together. That word was so important to her now. It had so much meaning in her life. And when the impossible happened and she was afraid or she couldn't tell up from down, it was that word that got her through. Because together meant Cisco and Harry, Axiom and the team – Barry, Joe, Iris, Wally, Caitlin, Hope. Together meant she didn't have to do the hard things alone anymore.

She nodded a little, pulling away and looking around the room, then at Caitlin. “Okay.” She said softly. “But can I finish my coffee first?” She cracked a little smile. Caitlin smiled right back, sweet as always.

“Sure.” She said, “I'll go set up.” Harry watched Caitlin walk away as Maggie grabbed her coffee. She could feel her Dad's eyes turn to her. Both of her Dads' eyes, actually. When she turned back, they were both standing side by side, watching her, Harry's hand on Cisco's lower back as Ramon drank his coffee, watching her over the rim of his mug. Both men looked slightly disheveled, like they'd gotten dressed quickly. Even Cisco's hair looked a bit tangled up.

“You two look worse than I do.” She stated then, grinning a little before drinking her own cup. She watched Harry roll his eyes and walk away. Cisco just smirked and shook his head.

“It's a family affair, girly.” Cisco winked, then nudged her before wandering off. She could admit, she felt a little better. Though the worry and fear were still lumped in her stomach. A lot had happened very quickly, which should have been par for the course in this family, on this team. But still...

An hour later, she was more than halfway through Caitlin's tests. Hope was helping. Axiom was curled up on the end of the gurney, watching everything quietly. Barry had passed out in the chair in the corner, his head lolled back. Harry and Cisco were out in the Cortex, talking with Joe about something. And she couldn't help but feel tired, even after that cup of coffee. Caitlin gently ran a hand through her hair before pulling the blanket up a bit more around her. “You can sleep if you want. You don't need to be awake for this part.” She turned away after that, pressing a button on the wall, dimming the lights. She could have fought it, but she felt safe and warm. And before long, sleep was a gravity Maggie King couldn't deny...

* * *

Sometimes Cisco would just watch Harry.

There were moments when Harry would feel like a storm, the epitome of strangled energy waiting to explode, rolling beneath the surface of the taller man’s control. Like now. He was standing there with his arms crossed, jaws tightening like he was waiting for someone to give him a reason to start throwing punches. And every now and then he’d get this hardness to his eyes as though even he wanted to taste blood in his mouth as proof that he was taking his licks. 

Cisco thought that Harry needed the pain. He needed the aches in his joints and the bruises beneath his skin. He needed to feel something beyond being okay. Maybe because he’d spent so long, so often being anything but okay. There was definitely a jagged beauty to Harry’s violence. Cisco noticed it the most in Harry when those around him were hurting or in danger. Like now. The idea that one of his daughters was in trouble was bad enough. But not being able to do anything for her right then made it that much worse. At least Cisco could relate to that. He felt as useless as a t-shirt in a blizzard.

The sun was burning somewhere on the horizon where they couldn’t see, the buildings in the city blocking the view even from where they stood on the roof of S.T.A.R. Labs. But the light still managed to break through, casting shadows with the bright rays in warming hues that promised some warmth in the relative chill. 

Even imaginary warmth was better than nothing. 

Harry’s tall form stood in one of the washes of orange that the sun threw out. It made his skin seem darker, highlighted the tone to his shoulder muscles as they pulled beneath his shirt, made his ever-illuminated stare seem oddly fluorescent. He didn’t look tired anymore. To Cisco, he just looked… perfect.

And lost.

Cisco slipped both hands out of the pockets of his sweatshirt, moving up beside Harry and nudging him with an elbow before looking out beyond the edge of the roof. Harry didn’t move at first, but then he uncrossed his arms and slid one around Cisco’s shoulders wordlessly, pulling him warmly into his side. The effect was instant and welcome, a soothing and real comfort that neither one of them could get anywhere else. 

He had a feeling sometimes that this bond they shared seemed out of place and odd to the people around them. He couldn’t blame them. In a lot of ways, even he and Harry didn’t really understand it. They just accepted it as how things were. They knew why they were together, the reasons, the unseen hand behind it. But none of that mattered. After everything they’d been through, why would it? If these past several years had proven anything, it was that the cosmos didn’t really have as much say in their life as others might think. 

“I can hear the gears turning in your head. There’s practically smoke coming out of your ears.”

Harry’s voice made him smirk a little and he slipped an arm around Harry’s warm back. The taller man wasn’t wearing a jacket or sweatshirt. He tended to run warm all the time, even when it was cold out like this. It made cuddling with him fantastic in the winter. “You ever think about who we’d be if we never found each other?” Cisco asked, watching as a few pigeons flew toward a far railing. Harry didn’t say anything at first, turning and looking at Cisco in his hold. Harry’s iridescent blues searched his quietly, a hand coming up to trace a smooth line down the side of his face. Cisco found himself smiling at the touch, reveling lightly in the delicate feel of it. For all that a storm was raging inside of Harry, he was still so gentle with him. 

“I think about it all the time.” He said then, his expression softening as his hands found purchase at Cisco’s hips. “Or… more like who I’d have been without you. I already know you’d still be amazing.” Cisco leaned into him, frowning a little. But Harry shook his head before he could speak. “You may not agree, but you would have been perfectly fine never meeting me.” Cisco narrowed his eyes, feeling a soft numbness at the idea.

“I’d never have been whole, I can tell you that. I may not have known why. But I know I would have always been searching for something.” He tilted his head a little. “Who do you think you would have been?”

“Just another monster.” Harry said so easily that Cisco had to blink. “Don’t look so surprised. I was already headed down that road when we first met, you know that.”

“Maybe I’m just stupidly partial, but I really can’t picture you like that, man. You’re too…” he shook his head a little, “Shit, you’re just everything.” Harry smiled at that, warm and real, eyes full of affection as he ducked his head and pressed his lips to Cisco’s. The effect was instant. And Cisco sighed happily into the contact. 

“You are partial. But I’ve always known what I am. And what that would mean without-“

Before Harry could finish the sentence, the whole roof shook violently, pitching them both off balance and onto their sides hard into the gravel rooftop. It was like an earthquake, except when they both managed to get their bearings, they were met with sparks everywhere, electric currents flying around haphazardly from everything and nothing all at once. It was like an electrical storm, except no clouds, and it was all focused on the roof. 

“Look out!” Harry yelled, throwing himself on top of Cisco as one of the taller antennae buckled and snapped, falling directly into them. It hit Harry’s back hard, pushing him further into Cisco and Cisco further into the gravel as he gripped onto Harry’s sides. Harry groaned, but forced himself to push up, the strength in his arms and legs hoisting the antennae with him, letting Cisco scoot out and help push it completely out of the way. 

They both got to their feet and Cisco wordlessly opened a breach. These days, he was strong enough to do it without his goggles when they were just going from one room to another. Breaching to other worlds was a lot harder. But this he could do. He yanked Harry through with him, both men popping out into the Cortex to a very startled Barry and Caitlin. And just as the breach closed, whatever shaking had been happening everywhere -not just on the roof- suddenly stopped.

Harry crouched down onto all fours, a growl escaping his throat as he sat hard. “What the hell was that?!” He demanded, wincing and closing his eyes. 

“Shit, are you okay?” Cisco demanded a little breathily, kneeling beside him. Caitlin moved to his opposite side as Cisco hiked up the back of Harry's shirt. He was already bruising, red and angry diagonally across his back where the antennae had hit. Harry just nodded with a clenched jaw, putting his forehead on Cisco’s shoulder. Before their eyes, the red and bruising began to fade as Harry healed himself. It could have been a whole hell of a lot worse.

“Dads?” Maggie’s worried voice made Cisco drop Harry’s shirt to hide the injury from her and pull Harry closer before looking up at her. “Oh my god! What happened, Dad?!” She demanded, getting on both knees and reaching for Harry. He lifted his head and just offered her a small smile. 

“I’m alright, punk.”

But the look on Maggie’s face was anything but believing, especially when she reached forward and grabbed the edge of Cisco’s sweatshirt. It had been singed, burnt by the electricity they’d been assaulted by. Her eyes grew wide and she yanked her hand back as though she’d been bitten. “Did I…” her eyes welled up with tears and she scooted backward, falling onto her butt. 

“No, Maggie. Whatever this was, it wasn’t you.” Caitlin said as Harry straightened up, reaching for Maggie in concern, glancing momentarily at Caitlin. “You were asleep. And all your vitals were normal. Your tests are all normal. There’s nothing wrong with you. I promise. I don’t know what’s happening, but you didn’t do… whatever this just was.” She urged, standing up. Harry’s hand gripped Maggie’s leg.

“Look at me, hey.” He ordered, moving out of Cisco’s hold. “You hear Snow?” He looked at her earnestly. “Come here. I’m alright. We’re alright.” He motioned to Cisco with his free hand. And Maggie just nodded hastily, tears streaming unbidden down her cheeks. Then she just launched herself into both of them, clinging to them both for dear life.

“We’ve got ya, girly.” Cisco mumbled into her hair, he felt all the air go out of her. Maggie was definitely growing up, but in some ways, she would always need them. In some ways, she would always be just a kid. Cisco could admit, he was alright with that.

“Well I’m definitely confused. If it wasn’t Mags, then why does the electricity carry her energy signature?” Barry asked once they’d all composed themselves and were sitting in the medlab. Harry was completely healed. Whatever damage there’d been was entirely gone, but he looked even more tired than before, leaning heavily against the doorframe. Not sleeping well and then having to heal himself wasn’t doing him any favors. 

Cisco was sitting on the gurney with Maggie, who pretty much had glued herself to his arm. Both of their legs were swinging lazily as Caitlin finished going through her test results. All of which said that, besides suffering from slight exhaustion, Maggie was one hundred percent a-okay. Hope was pacing lightly, arms crossed, brows furrowed in thought. 

“You said you’ve had trouble sleeping. And when you do sleep, you wake up tired?” Hope asked, stopping just beside Caitlin. Maggie just nodded. “For how long?”

“I dunno, a few weeks now, maybe? I thought it was just all the stress with school and testing and trying to open the shop.” She admitted. “Why? What do you think it is?”

“I think someone is leaching your power.” Hope dropped her arms. 

“Come again?” Harry demanded, pushing away from the doorframe, face instantly harsh, eyes glistening with the need to protect. 

“It’s the only thing that makes sense.”

“Oh yes, because all of this makes total sense.” Cisco interjected, well aware his tone wasn’t happy. 

“Think about it.” Hope said, turning to look at everyone at once. “She’s not doing this. But every energy reading when the events occur very distinctly point to Maggie and her power. We’ve come across people before who can steal meta powers and use them for their own purposes.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me.” Cisco glanced at Harry who raised a brow.

“The only person who ever had that kind of tech was Mirabelle Routhe, and she’s dead. And all the tech was destroyed at the same time she died. You think someone else created something that can steal meta powers?” Barry asked, moving to stand next to Harry. 

“No. Any technology like that would kill the meta in question. And Maggie is very obviously alive.” Hope said, glancing from Barry to her. “I think it might actually be another meta.”

“A meta… that can steal meta powers…” Harry reiterated, then shook his head, crossing his arms. “Okay, say that’s true. Why steal Maggie’s powers? And why use them to pull pranks and trash the roof?”

“We’d have to find them to answer all that, I think.” 

“What about Jimmy?” Barry asked then, and blinked, cringing lightly. “I don’t mean that how it sounds. Just… think about it. He’s the only one who is constantly near you.”

“He’s not a meta. I’ve already tested his DNA and he doesn’t carry any of the markers.” Caitlin piped in. Barry shrugged.

“Jimmy wouldn’t hurt anyone.” Maggie spoke for the first time since the conversation had started. “He gets sad when a plant dies.” She sounded so amused by the idea that Jimmy could have any violent tendencies. “You’re talking about a literal pacifist.” Maggie looked at Harry, motioning one hand in his direction. “Harry? I can see you thinking.”

She was right. Harry’s face had that stern concentrated look he got when he was mulling something over, the kind that pressed the creases near his eyes, made his stare seem hard and unrelenting -the sort of stare most people shrunk beneath. He lifted his chin a little. “Nothing.” One word. And oh-so-very-far from being true. Maggie huffed a sigh.

“I know you don’t like Jimmy much, or that we’re living together, but you can’t possibly-“

Harry cut her off with a shake of his head. “I don’t think it was the kid.” Harry sighed out, shifting slightly on his booted feet. 

“But you do have an idea who?” Cisco prodded, and every eye was on Harry, then. The taller man just clenched his jaw a little, the muscles working gently.

“What if this is Coster… messing with us again.” Harry wasn’t exactly asking. “It would be something he’d do.” Everyone was painfully quiet, then. And Cisco could feel a sudden raging anxiety bubble up in his chest. He slipped off the gurney, pacing a little, a hand in his hair before he stopped near one of the monitors in the medlab. He hated even thinking about the Fallen Watcher, let alone mentioning him out loud. It dredged up all sorts of bad stuff that neither he nor Harry wanted anything to do with.

“None of this stuff has hurt anyone, not really.” The antennae falling on them had been bad luck, _right?_ “Coster’s not exactly the play nice type. If this is him, why is he just… fucking around?” Cisco turned to look at the room for some sort of consensus.

“It’s possible. I hate to say it, but it is. He plays games. He pushes buttons. Maybe he’s trying to make us lose faith in Maggie?” Hope offered. “It wouldn’t be the first time he’s tried to make us think less of someone we care about.” She was looking at Harry when she said that. And he just stood there quietly, averting his eyes to the floor. “But there’s also the fact that Coster isn’t a meta.” She added, making Cisco tear his gaze away from Harry. “If he was really behind this, there wouldn’t be a meta signature involved. I doubt he’d care to put that much effort into… fucking around… with us.”

“I am really confused right now.” Maggie said softly. And Cisco could relate with that. He turned back to her, moving and putting a hand gently on her shoulder. She gave the smallest smile he’d ever seen her make.

“Look, we’ll figure this out, okay? We always do.” Barry said firmly. “For now, we need to make a plan. And I think you should stay at the labs, Mags.”

“What? No. No, no. I can’t do that.” She pushed off the gurney. “I have classes. And Jimmy’s going to get really suspicious if I just… don’t show up.”

“Like it or not, this entire thing revolves around you somehow. You being out there, _alone_? That’s a really bad idea right now.” Barry looked from her to Cisco. He hated to admit it, but his friend was right.

“He’s right, Maggie.” Cisco said softly. And he felt her go stiff at his side. She looked at him, brows furrowed. “You’re safer here. I know it’s not fair, and yeah… it really kinda sucks more than a vacuum. But for now, this is the best thing you can do.”

“And what about Jimmy? Hm?” She demanded, her voice close to cracking, her eyes tight with emotion.

“I’ll talk to him. He’ll be fine.” Harry said gently, but his face was a very practiced blank.

“Oh, _you’ll_ talk to him? Swell. Just fantastic.” She pushed away from everyone then, heading toward the Cortex. 

“Maggie…” Caitlin called after her, standing from her chair. But Harry put a hand on her shoulder. 

“Let her go.”

Cisco ran a hand through his hair, sighing heavily after Maggie was long gone, the quiet far too heavy for his liking. “In the meantime, how do we figure this out?”

“That’s the multi-million-dollar question.” Barry groused, sitting on the edge of the gurney. “Any ideas?”

The room fell far too quiet.

Why couldn’t silence offer all the answers for once?

* * *

“I don’t get it.” Jimmy said, sitting on the couch with a glass of water in one hand and an apple in the other. “Why didn’t she just tell me before she left?” He took a bite out of the fruit. Harry could practically feel his innocent eyes on him, completely unaware that he’d just been lied to. But it was for his own good. It was for everyone’s good. Axiom leaned heavily against Harry’s leg, a strange antidote to his frustration at the situation, but for the moment very welcome.

“She didn’t know all the details till a few hours ago. It’s an opportunity she shouldn’t pass up.” Harry said, grabbing Maggie’s phone charger and earbuds off the desk near her bedroom door. He shoved them both into the duffel bag he’d packed for her. Clothes, school supplies, her laptop, other odds and ends to keep her busy. He zipped it up and set it on the floor.

“No doubt about that. I mean, shadowing the professors at Star City University?” Jimmy chuckled a little. “I always knew she was smart. But damn.” He smiled brightly and took a sip of his water before setting the cup down. “I can’t wait to hear all about it when she gets back.” After an awkward moment of silence between them, Harry cleared his throat and motioned just as awkwardly to Jimmy.

“Do you… do you need anything before I leave?” Yeah, it was a half-hearted question, honestly. He didn’t have anything against the kid. In fact, he felt bad for him. And his struggle. More than that, he was angry on his behalf. But he also didn’t feel the need to get to know him all that much. Keeping his distance as much as possible meant less probability of their world encroaching on Jimmy’s. And vice versa.

“Actually,” Jimmy looked thoughtful for a moment, then he set the half-eaten apple on a coaster and stood up. “I know this is kinda, ya know…” he seemed nervous all of a sudden. Sheepish. It made Harry’s patience fizzle slightly and he fought the urge to glare. “I mean you’ve already done so much for me. And I don’t want to impose…”

“Spit it out, kid.” Yeah, okay. Maybe he couldn’t be as patient as Maggie would have liked. Jimmy blinked. Then nodded quickly.

“My… my dad has been trying to contact me. He wants to meet.” A strange look passed over Jimmy’s features and he suddenly seemed… small. Harry furrowed his brows lightly.

“And you don’t want to go alone.” Harry said for him, clear agitation in his tone. He sighed, stepping away from Axiom and pacing toward a window. He didn’t have time for this. He should be helping Maggie. She was his priority, after all. But he also knew she’d be downright pissed at him if he didn’t offer to help the kid out. She was fiercely protective of Jimmy as it was. He turned to look at the teenager and nodded a little, his hands on his hips as he studied the deer in headlights look on his face. “Alright. Call him. We’ll meet now.”

“N-now?” He practically yipped, swallowing and freezing further in place.

“Yes, now.” And when he didn’t move, Harry snapped his fingers at him. “Let’s go, kid. I’ve got a lot to do today.” Jimmy jerked his whole body, as though he’d been slapped into moving and he dug into his pocket for his cell phone, moving into his bedroom out of sight as he called his father.

 _‘Jimmy scared. And worried.’_ Axiom said then, moving to stand in front of Harry. He looked down at the dog and sighed through his nostrils. _‘I come?’_

“Couldn’t hurt.” Harry remarked. He glanced back toward the bedroom. “How’s he been here?”

_‘Less heavy. Less burdened. But still finding his way.’_

“And how is he with Maggie?” He asked, looking back down. “Really.” Axiom tilted his head a little.

_‘Gentle. Grateful.’_

“Okay, he said he’d meet at Georgie’s Diner in fifteen minutes.” Jimmy broke in, slipping his jacket on. “I… I didn’t tell him you were coming, though.”

“Good.” Harry said, moving toward him and grabbing the duffel bag on his way. “Let’s go.” He patted Jimmy once on the shoulder and headed for the door. Axiom simply followed. Jimmy followed right after that. 

Yay. Field trip. Blech. 

The drive was quiet. Jimmy was bouncing one knee like his body was trying to be rid of his leg entirely. He couldn’t blame the kid for being nervous. As far as he knew, this would be the first time he’d seen his father since he’d gone to court to become emancipated. 

Georgie’s Diner was a hole in the wall place near the warehouse district, probably close to where Jimmy’s father worked. It was open twenty-four hours, and the food was pretty good. Home made cooking at its almost best. It looked like an old barber shop on the outside, but inside it was all red vinyl and aluminum décor, like an inside-out tin can.

Harry parked the truck, reaching into the small back seat of the quad cab and running his hand over Axiom’s head. “Stay, boy.” He said, knowing full well that Axiom would get the idea. He’d keep his ‘ears’ open for trouble. But he couldn’t exactly follow them into the diner. He cracked the windows slightly and stepped out. Once he was on the sidewalk, he waited patiently for Jimmy to exit the vehicle, but the kid just kept staring wide-eyed at the diner like the place might explode if he dared touch the door handle. Harry fought the need to growl and reached forward, yanking the door open. “Any day now, kid.” He said, motioning to the sidewalk.

“Right, right.” Jimmy mumbled, unbuckling and stepping out. Harry shut the door behind him and locked the truck. “I don’t see his truck. I don’t think he’s here yet.”

“That’s fine. We’ll get a booth.” Harry led the way, the air inside a fair bit warmer than the chill of the street. He nodded to the waitress who smiled kindly in their direction. The sign said, ‘Seat Yourself!’ with an absurd looking smiley face. So that’s what they did. They sat all the way in the back corner, so Harry could have a direct eye-line to the door. Jimmy sat tucked against the wall beside him, like he was trying to hide himself, staring at the exit. “Hey.” Harry nudged him and sighed a little. “I know this is a lot. But I’m right here. I won’t let anything happen to you.” Jimmy seemed to take that in, expression turning uncertain.

“You don’t know my dad. He can be scary… when he’s mad.” He rubbed idly at his ribs. They’d healed awhile ago. But Harry knew from experience that ribs always ached from time to time after being broken. Harry nodded.

“I’m scary all the time.” Harry offered, watching Jimmy crack a little smile. “You’re safe with me, kid.”

“I know.” Jimmy managed, sitting up a little straighter. “I guess I’m just… I’ve thought about this a lot. Like, what I would say to him if he was in front of me again. And if he’d even listen. I didn’t think he’d actually want to seek me out.”

“He’s an idiot.” Harry said matter-of-fact like. “But he’s still your father. Parents… we make mistakes. We do stupid things. And most of the time it's out of love.” He looked back toward the exit. “Though in his case, I don’t think he can say that about all this. So… you say what you need to say.” He glanced back at Jimmy. “Say all of it. We’ll make him listen.” Jimmy nodded after a moment, a firm up and down motion. And as if on cue, the door opened. And a man who was very clearly Jimmy’s father stepped inside.

Harry had seen him twice now. Once in passing, and once in the court room. The resemblance was striking. It was easy to see where Jimmy got his looks from. Though the man, who frowned heavily and walked toward them, was obviously older and had more weight on his bones. 

“Who’s this?” Stephen Selden asked, stopping just near the table, sliding into the booth seat opposite them. He was glaring at Harry, hard. And Jimmy had frozen all over again. Till Harry kicked his shoe beneath the table and he jumped a little.

“This… this is Harry. My roommate’s Dad.” Jimmy managed. Harry just gave one short nod, folding his hands before him on the table. Stephen kept the unhappy look plastered on his face.

“Thought we were going to talk.” He said, relaxing back in his own seat, one arm stretched over the back.

“You are.” Harry spoke up, his gravelly voice instantly catching the other man’s attention. “I’m here for moral support.” Stephen raised a brow at that. But then nodded slowly. 

“Alright.” He agreed, which seemed immediately odd to Harry. He wasn’t sure what look he gave the kid’s father, but Stephen darted his eyes away quickly and looked at Jimmy. “There’s a lot I need to say to you. A lot I need you to hear.”

“No.” Harry immediately said. “You don’t get to talk first.”

“Excuse me?” Stephen demanded, “This is between me and my son. I don’t know who you think you are, but I’m-“

“You’re going to do nothing but sit there and listen to what Jimmy has to say. If you have something to add after that, be my guest.” The hard stare Stephen gave him probably matched his own at that point.

“Dad, stop. Please, just… Harry’s here to help. Okay? That’s all. And ya know what?” Jimmy cleared his throat, his expression growing slightly stern, “I want _you_ to listen. Okay? Just… just listen for a change. Can you do that?” Stephen’s stare faltered and settled on Jimmy as though he was just now really seeing him. 

He dropped his hands to his lap, and for a long moment it seemed like he might just protest again. But then he nodded. “Alright.”

Jimmy took a deep breath, glanced at Harry, then cleared his throat again, like he needed to do that just to get the words out. “I forgive you.” He said simply, “For all of it. For… for calling me a dirty faggot, and worse. For beating me. For throwing me out.” He kept his eyes on his father, steeling himself. “I forgive you for not being a real father after Mom died, and for being so hard on me about… well, everything.” He cracked a sad smile. “At first I thought I could just hate you. I thought it would be easier. But it hurt to hate you, Dad. All of it hurt. And I guess… I wanted you to know all that. And that I’d like you to still be a part of my life. But if you can’t, I need you to know… I’m okay with that now, too. Cause I have to be.”

Silence settled around them, the various sounds of the diner somehow seeming louder as Stephen just sat there, staring, blinking. “You’ve changed.” The man said quietly then. 

“You’re right. Before all this, I never would have had the courage to talk to you like this.” Jimmy chuckled as though it had only now occurred to him. “I’m in a good place, ya know? With good people in my life.” Jimmy glanced at Harry, and if he didn’t know any better, the look the kid gave him was beyond grateful. He clenched his jaws and looked away, watching Stephen as the other man looked at him, too. “I’m okay, Dad. I’m… I’m more than okay, really.” Jimmy added. And Stephen swallowed, looking down at the table top. 

“That’s good. That’s all…” he breathed out heavily, “Really good, son.” He lifted a hand and fiddled with the silverware and napkin before him. “Since we… since I threw you out, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. Mostly about your mother.” He raised his eyes, “She would have been… so ashamed of me.” He cleared his throat, the first edges of emotion other than frustration edging into his tone. “You were everything to her, her whole world. Her dream… and I just… I ruined it all… didn’t I.” He wasn’t asking. “I threw myself into the church. I… demanded so much of you. I never should have tried to make you be anything other than who you are.” His eyes grew wetter as he spoke, though no tears escaped. Harry sudden felt like he shouldn’t be there. That this conversation was far too private. But he’d told the kid he’d stay. So, he continued to sit there quietly. Waiting.

“I left the church. I… I’ve joined this anger management group. And I’ve learned a lot. About myself, mostly. But I’ve also come to see that…” he shook his head, practically choking the napkin in his hand, the silverware clinking, “That there was never, ever anything wrong with you, son. The problem has always been me. And I’m so sorry.” His face crumpled then, tears free flowing, and he hung his head as a single sob escaped his throat. 

Harry felt Jimmy stiffen at his side. _Shit._ He looked at the teenager. His expression was the epitome of confused and scared and unsure. _Shit, shit, shit._

“That’s a step in the right direction.” Harry spoke up, making Jimmy relax a little. “Mister Selden.” The man wiped a forearm across his eyes, his coat sleeve coming away damp. But he met Harry’s gaze unflinchingly. “It doesn’t change what happened. Nothing can ever do that. I hope you realize that.” Stephen nodded a little. “That being said, this is a start. For both of you. A chance to start over.”

“Dad, I don’t know if we… if I can ever let you be a parent to me again.” Jimmy said softly. “But… maybe we can start as friends?” Stephen smiled despite himself and nodded, letting go of the napkin. 

“I’d like that, James.”

“It’s Jimmy.” The boy said. 

"Jimmy." And both father and son smiled.

A half hour later, they said their goodbyes out on the sidewalk and Jimmy got into Harry’s truck. Stephen stopped Harry, however. “I know who you are. You live down the way from me. And... I know why he went to you for help.” Harry raised his chin a little. He was already a fair bit taller than Stephen Selden, but he really didn’t like this man. If he had his way, he’d just deck him and call it a day. But the man kept talking. “I’m grateful. I wanted to tell you that.” He extended a hand to Harry, who glanced at it dubiously at first. Then he shook it firmly. “Thank you. For being there for my boy.” He wanted to say something along the lines of, _‘Someone had to.’_ But he kept his mouth shut for a change. Cisco would have been proud as shit. 

“Do you think he meant everything he said?” Jimmy asked on the drive back to the apartment, watching the world go by out the passenger window. 

“I don’t know, kid. I do know that people can change if given the opportunity.” Jimmy looked at him and he sighed. “Just be cautious. Protect yourself. Until you know for sure, I wouldn’t take any unnecessary chances, okay?”

“Yeah, okay.” Jimmy agreed, then nodded. “Thanks, Harry. For everything.”

“Don’t mention it.” He responded, staring out the windshield as they stopped at a red light. 

“Ya know, I didn’t get it before… what Maggie says about you. But I get it now.”

Harry raised a brow, “And what does Maggie say about me?”

“That you’re not at all what people think. You are who you are and you don’t care who the rest of the world wants you to be. But you’re inspiring. You make a difference, even when no one is looking. And that matters.” He nodded easily, looking back out at the passing traffic. “I didn’t really see it before. But now I do.”

Harry couldn’t say a single damn thing to that. But he also couldn’t hide the small smile that emerged. He pulled the truck out into traffic as the light turned green. “You’re not so bad yourself, kid.” He said quietly. And then just let the silence become comfortable between them for a change. He dropped Jimmy and Axiom off with the promise that he’d make sure Maggie would call later. And he drove away feeling strangely content. 

He never really did well when people said good things about him. Mostly because he didn’t agree with half of it. But the fact that Maggie had told someone else what she thought about him… and that she thought what she thought? He could admit, he felt really pleased with the notion. He might not always get it right. But maybe he wasn’t as bad at the whole 'dad' thing as he oftentimes thought he was. 

Now if only he could find a way to help his daughter that was as easy as helping Jimmy had turned out to be…

**Author's Note:**

> (To be continued...)


End file.
